Location: 5 miles south of Turtle Portage; about a mile SE of Blueberry Island, where the south-eastern arm of Saboskong Bay begins.

Description: This small eastward-opening bay in the island just east of Splitrock Point provides good shelter even is easterly winds if you tuck in behind the southern point. The bay is shallow and somewhat weedy towards the inner shore.

Shore Mooring: The only place suitable for shore mooring is on the NW side of the rocky southern point. Shore access is easy here, and there is plenty of room for a campfire on the point.

Hazards: Notice the 5 foot shoal shown near the mouth of the bay. It could present a problem if the lake level is low. Also, the broken pine tree on the point seems to be very attractive to wasps. Check first before you reach in to get a branch for your campfire.

Nearby Attractions: About a mile to the south is Splitrock Bay, an interesting bay to explore. It seems to be very popular (hence probably good?) fishing area. On the eastern shore just before the bay narrows there is a fair shore mooring place, well-sheltered, but with difficult shore access because of dense undergrowth. The shoreline in the rest of the bay is high and steep. Look for a very faint rock painting in the narrowest part of this bay on the west side.

Other Comments: The anchorage in the island east of Splitrock Point was first reported to us by Murray Duclos on Keoonik, hence the name “Murray’s Place”.

Location: At the extreme southern end of Whitefish Bay, opening into Turtle Lake.

Description: This artificially widened channel, no longer officially maintained, is the link which makes it possible to “circumnavigate” Lake of the Woods. It is less than 500 feet in length but if passable (i.e. if the water level is high enough) it can reduce your home trip from the Sabaskong by a couple of days. The current can be very strong, in either direction, especially if the wind has been blowing from the same direction for several days. If possible, make the passage on a day when the current is against you to give maximum steering control and to reduce the risk of damage when you hit. On a calm day the bottom is visible and a lookout will be able to steer you around the odd boulder (see chart). The red Styrofoam buoy in the channel is too narrow for two boats to pass, so blow your foghorn before entering as a warning to boats coming the other way. There is quite a bit of motorboat traffic.

Hazards: The track north of the channel goes close to a charted “5”, now buoyed. We always go straight north from the channel, up the west side of the large island.

Other Comments: If you are waiting for favourable weather or current, there is a very nice little beach just east of the channel, with lots of open ground up a hill, for camping and a sheltered bay to the west for anchoring overnight.

Location: Near the extreme south end of Whitefish Bay, just south of Devil’s Bay.

Description: At the head of a long deep bay there is a large granite island, almost bare of trees on the south side. There is very deep water on the south shelving to very shallow water clogged with beaver–cut logs on the north side near the head of the bay. High hills surrounding the bay provide excellent shelter, except to the south. The opening to the marshy area shown on the chart does not exist, except as a trickle of water through the rocks. The northern half of the island is wooded, with blueberries.

Shore Mooring: At the western corner of the south side, the rock drops straight into the water, providing an ideal shore-mooring spot with a ledge about 3 feet above the water (depending on lake level). The bay is deep and setting an anchor can be difficult. Try dropping the anchor closer to the western shore of the bay, where the water is shallower.

Nearby Attractions: There are many pictograph sites in the area, one of which is shown. Explore, or ask someone who has sailed there.

Location: Just south of Whitefish Narrows, 7 or 8 miles past Yellow Girl Bay; about 27 miles south of Northern Harbour.

Description: The two Twin Islands enclose a large bay with many indentations, providing lots of choice for shore mooring places. For swimming its best to anchor in the deeper part of the bay. For good overnight shelter, there are two small shallow bays, one on each island.

The hook-shaped bay in Twin East is well-sheltered in all winds except SW, where it is not sheltered at all if the winds are strong. The woods on shore are open with high rocky ridges - great for hiking. Twin Wests bay provides a sheltered anchorage if the winds are SW, and in fact gives protection from all winds if you tuck in behind the thumb of land on the south side of the bay. From this point you have access to good hiking all along the southern ridge of the island. In both anchorages the head of the bay is somewhat weedy, but the water is 8 10 feet deep where one would anchor.

Shore Mooring: In Twin East, there are several good shore mooring places on the west side of the bay. Watch for logs in the first small nook around the beaver lodge. In Twin West, best shore mooring is the west side of the southeast point. Shore mooring is also possible at many other places along the inner shores of the two islands.

Other Comments: Just northwest of Twin there is a group of islands with a channel marked 19 between two of them. Galatea (a C ; C 30) ran aground in this channel, which is full of boulders and should be avoided.

Location: Just south of Whitefish Narrows, 7 or 8 miles past Yellow Girl Bay; about 27 miles south of Northern Harbour.

Description: The two Twin Islands enclose a large bay with many indentations, providing lots of choice for shore mooring places. For swimming its best to anchor in the deeper part of the bay. For good overnight shelter, there are two small shallow bays, one on each island.

The hook-shaped bay in Twin East is well-sheltered in all winds except SW, where it is not sheltered at all if the winds are strong. The woods on shore are open with high rocky ridges - great for hiking. Twin Wests bay provides a sheltered anchorage if the winds are SW, and in fact gives protection from all winds if you tuck in behind the thumb of land on the south side of the bay. From this point you have access to good hiking all along the southern ridge of the island. In both anchorages the head of the bay is somewhat weedy, but the water is 8 10 feet deep where one would anchor.

Shore Mooring: In Twin East, there are several good shore mooring places on the west side of the bay. Watch for logs in the first small nook around the beaver lodge. In Twin West, best shore mooring is the west side of the southeast point. Shore mooring is also possible at many other places along the inner shores of the two islands.

Other Comments: Just northwest of Twin there is a group of islands with a channel marked 19 between two of them. Galatea (a C ; C 30) ran aground in this channel, which is full of boulders and should be avoided.

Location: Approx 65 miles S of Northern Harbour, via Big Narrows or Tranquil Channel, Oak Island, and Northwest Point. The Sables stretch from the mouth of the Rainy River NE for 5 miles along the SE shore of Big Traverse Bay.

Description: The Sables are really 5 miles of sand dunes, with some low scrubby vegetation (including wild roses visit in late June / early July). The lake side is miles of beach, especially wide in low water years. The shoreward side is somewhat reedy most places. Shelter is adequate from the north through west to WSW. From SW through E to NE, shelter is poor. Set two anchors if much wind is expected from these directions. The eastern shore is a mile or more away.

Shore Mooring: It is not possible to get close enough to shore for shore mooring. A dinghy of some sort is therefore necessary for shore access. Some boats with shallow draft may be able to follow the channel to the Rainy River entrance where there are several lodges with docks.

Hazards: The most obvious hazard is the many piles just breaking the surface. Some of them are charted (very approximately) there are others. Move as slowly as possible and keep a very sharp lookout. The water is shallow only 6 8 feet most places, with even less depth in some areas, most noticeably the entrance. Use the buoys but do not depend on them. The bottom is very shifty.

Other Comments: Approach there is a very tall microwave tower west of the Rainy River entrance which is visible from many miles offshore from Garden Island on clear days. As you approach the south shore, you will need to head somewhat east of the tower. The entrance is just west of the highest dunes. The sea buoy is usually surrounded (and hidden) by fishing boats.

Location: The town of Warroad is at the SW corner of Lake of the Woods, approximately 65 miles from Northern Harbour. Sailors from the Kenora / Northern Harbour area usually take 2 days for the trip, with an overnight stop at Oak or McPherson.

Entering the Channel: Sand and mud flats extend a long way out from shore. Watch for the sea buoy half a mile or so from shore; do not go any closer to shore until you have located it and lined it up with the range formed by the 2 markers on shore, one near the entrance to the channel and another further in and higher up. If you keep them in line while entering the channel, you probably wont run aground.

Docking: Sailors are always welcome at Hank and Ginny Hendersons private dock, on the south side of the channel. You will know it by the head at the head of the dock, usually full of flowers. Depth is about 5 feet at datum, so approach with caution if the lake level is low.

On the north side of the channel just east of the CNR bridge you can tie up at the seawall bring your own stake. A better alternative is the long dock closest to the seawall which (according to Ginny Henderson, former owner) is owned by Eric Erikson, who also owns the drugstore just run up and ask her. Ginny also says that the long dock parallel to the shore is OK to use if there is no boat there; the owner lives in Thief River Falls.

Services: The business section of town is on the north side of the channel near the seawall. The Silver Dollar is an extremely popular spot with sailors, and dont miss the bakery when youre re-provisioning. Marinas are located on the north side, near the channel entrance.

Location: About 21 miles SW of Northern Harbour, in Big Narrows.

Description: This small bay in an island just east of Ferris is sheltered in all winds, although not as well from the west as other directions. The shore on the south side is open pine-needle covered woods. We call this bay Double Echo bay for reasons which become obvious if you stand on the north shore close to its eastern end, face east, and shout. Watch for poison ivy right at the best echo place.

Shore Mooring: Shore mooring is best on the south shore. The rocks drop off sharply into the bay. Watch for loose rocks where rock falls have occurred in a couple of places you can usually tell from the shoreline where the loose rocks are likely to be found under water.

Additional Comments: A good first night, if you are heading to Oak, McPherson, the Sables, Warroad, etc.